HOW many times (was vacation, Jeff, Pregnancy)
Good Morning Jen,
Apology accepted (Being a diabetic, I have a “thick” skin
Congratulations on your wonderful news. Heaven knows the “practice” to get that way is damned FUN! (: 9
Wistful Sigh….
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Now the hard stuff. I honestly do understand the need I believe we all possess to do something, ANYTHING to make even 1 iota of difference towards the disease. As a metaphor most know I prefer a big sleepy dragon to represent it. Most of us do the very best we know how to keep it where it belongs, asleep, dormant. It is a violent and mischievous creature, with some pretty big teeth and all too frequently, will breathe fire at any opportunity!
You, I, any of us can be following the rules, the protocols, and still the damn creature slips from its proverbial cave, or tries. If we are real lucky, we catch it, beat it, and stick it back in that lovely little cave.
All my clever wording aside, day to day, moment to moment it is a battle which will take no prisoners. We screw up, we pay. Sometimes, we may NO mistakes, and we still pay because it is also very damn subtle. If it had a brain, I’d say, it likes messing with us, mocking us… <wistful grim tiny smile
As a pregnant lady, I cannot say I understand what you are going through, I would not dare. However, now as diabetics, our path it very, very similar. Can you understand, my very serious concern you were testing as much as you were/are?
If you were doing that to find a basal rate, and were doing the “poor man’s pump routine”, I’d get it (ie you are figuring out your insulin dosage needs AS IF you had a pump, but do not… such that you are doing all the same testing as if you were, in order to determine what your body’s insulin needs were over several very specific time periods within a 24 hour period over a three/four day time frame in order to establish said patterns). If it were a sick day routine, for a bunch of days, even that I could comprehend, sort of.
However even that was not the case. You were saying that you are testing TEN to TWELVE times a day, correct? Are you micromanaging your dosages from them I assume? If, IF that is indeed the case I still contend you’re playing with fire. [Bare with me here Jen, I can hear your teeth grinding from here.]
The fast acting stuff lasts ballpark <gentle shrug
Now you’re pregnant, and I am told if that means if you gotta wear yellow chicken feathers while hopping on one leg while chanting a ~Tibetan mantra~ to keep you healthy, I’m told you ladies will do so with zero hesitation because you are pregnant. So 10-12 tests per day <shrug
If you were not pregnant however, and apparently you didn’t know previously that you were. Testing that many times dear lady… that’s a bad mental space to be in. Let me try this another way maybe that will help, maybe not but lets see…
Little Johnny (7yo) was diagnosed, two years back. The family and Johnny are coping pretty damn well considering, ok? They’ve had the lows, the highs and the sick days, been through all of it. Little Johnny’s mom and dad are testing the boy 10, sometimes 15 times per day… cause they don’t want anything to happen EVER again. They have their endo nurses number memorized and on speed dial. They have enough juice, cake icing, soda in their offices, their cars, their purses, backpacks et. to feed a small army if necessary. They have attended the local support group specifically for parents once a month. The whole package. They are following the rules, but turning their little boy into a pin cushion, and while he’s a serious trooper, he’s starting to fight them quiteseriously. He says, “…its too much testing mommy…”
You are an adult. You can make all the choices, period. What I am suggesting to you Jen, is that much testing is perhaps not necessary, and frankly, for whatever it might be worth to you, I would offer is not a great place to be mentally? Maybe I’m the one who’s off here… would/will not be the “last time” <wg
You are fighting, you are fighting admirably, and getting results for those efforts. All I am saying publicly and aloud is that perhaps, just maybe you could cut back a bunch of those tests that you are doing and perhaps get the same good results. I propose there is also such a thing as being TOO vigilant. It is a vicious and evil disease which is a part of all of us, affecting <sp.?
Consider, just consider cutting back on some of the tests you’re taking, merely a thought, a subject of debate, discussion amongst “us”. I hope I have not offended anyone with my ~mental diarrhea~ this morning, least of all you Jen. If indeed I have then I humbly ask you to accept my genuine apologies.
Last question, then I’m spent for today… with your enviable readings, do you go low much (ie A1C is an average wondering if highs & lows give you your “average”, or it you’re straight across the board a enviable low number always)?
For now…
Jeff
(Jumping off the GIANT soapbox, handing Jen the giant brush with the sticky tar on it and pointing to the feathers/the giant pile of wood on which to burn him ~at the stake~ should she/others wish…)